Apparatus for waxing vegetables



Oct: 13, 1942. H. slEwlNG, JR 2,298,631

APPARATUS Fon wAxING` VEGETABLES Filed March 1s, 1941 f 2 sheets-sheen oct. 13, 1942. H. SEWING, JR 2,298,631

APPARATUS FOR WAXING VEGETABLES Filed March 13, 1941 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG- a. 8

-Mmm Ja. 3mm

2 @f MIM Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT, `oi?fruito-15;

APPARATUS FOR Herma siewing, Jr., Glasgow, Mont. Application March 13, 1941, Serial No. 383,231 6 Claims. (Cl. 91-46) My invention consists Vin a new and useful improvement in apparatus for waking vegetables, and is designed to provide -a machine for applying a thin coating of wax to vegetables to protect them against drying and shrivelling when pa-cked and shipped. The particularlynovel and useful features of my improved apparatus are the means which I provide for mounting the tank for the uid wax for coating and the conveying means whereby the vegetables :are passed through the wax to receive the desiredcoating.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse verticalfsection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved apparatus is mounted in a frame composed yoi suitable piping, comprising the two -end posts ll, at one end of the frame, the two end posts j2V, at the other end of the frame, the lower side rods 3, and the upper side rods 4. suitably spaced from the posts 2 and connecting the side rods and 4 are the posts 5. The posts 2 and 5, onone side of the frame, have iixed thereonan lr-beam Y.

6 suitably spaced below the upper side rod 4. Carried by this beam 6 is the bracket 'l on which is mounted the motor -M having its pulley-8 connected by band 9 with pulley IU .on shaft I-l -suitably journaled in housing l2 mounted on beam 6 and beam I3 supported by strut v|774 from lower side rod 3. The shaft VIl has `thereon the jworm l meshing with the worm gear-l5 -on shaft l1 suitably journaled in housing 4l2 and-journalsl :and I9 on the upper side rods 4, `and having mounted thereon the two sprocket wheels y positioned between the side rods4. The`rods-4, at the end of the frame opposite the end on which the motor M is mounted, extend beyond the-posts l and are each provided with a collar 2l adjustably mounted thereon, for longitudinal Vmovement therealong. In these collars 2l s j ournaled a shaft `22 on which is mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 23 aligned with the VAtwosprocket wheels 20 respectively. Suitably positioned adjacent the rods I and 5, on the lower side rods 3 are the idler rollers 24. Two endless sprocket chains 25 are mounted on the sprocket wheels 20 and 23 and the rollers 24. Suitably suspended from the side rods 4 are the transverse L-beams 26 on which is slidably mounted the tank 2l by means of longitudinal L-beams 28 xed to the upper edges of the sides of the tank 21. Suitably mounted on the rods 4 by brackets 29 are the horizontal tracks 30 supporting the chains 25 as they pass over and off of the tops of ,the wheels 20. Extending lfrom these-tracks 33 are the inclined tracks 3l .passing downwardly to the level of the rods 4, atpo'ints .above one end ofthe open top .of the tank'Zl. -rllracksl 32, similar to tracks 3l, are mounted on y,the rods 4 over, the other vend of the tank 2.1 and connect with tracks 33,' similar to tracks 30, supporting the chains 25as they pass .to the tops of and over sprocket wheels 23. Therods 14 are provided with lugs 34, at points above the middle o'ftank 2l,V each having an upstanding` bolt 3 5 projecting above the rod 4. I lprovide a transverse .beam 3,5carried`onlthe rods 4 andlattached to bolts135 by nuts 31. .Depending from thebearn 36 uare .theI brackets 33each having a series l,of journals'l39-? Mounted in correspending journals 39.v is .the shaftfll carrying the idler rollers .4I about whichjpassthe sprocket chains 25 respectively. Carried between thetwo sprocketchains25are thecontainers42g 'As illustrated in the drawings", `,thesecontainers 4.2 yare wire baskets'. iIt is obvious that they maybe" lof any character adapted to expose the contents thereof to the bath contained in the tank 21. Eachfconta'irier l.'42 has" each of its ends attached to one of thelinks of the chains25,v asbyjwelds .43, so that'the Acanta'iners-llZ 'are not onlycaused to move throughfthe apparatusby ,the jtravel yof the chains2-5, butA also .to be positioned according to the positions assumed by the links to which they are attached. Suitably mounted byposts 44 on the lower side rods 3 are the sills 45 carrying transverse beams 46 on vwhich rests base .41 on `which vis f'mounteda series Aof burners .48 vby means of a comino'nloilsupplyV pipe 43 supplied by an oilreservoir 50. A

From the V Yforegoing description ofthe vdetails of construction of improved apparatus, its foperation vland @use will .be obvious. A sullcient quantity of any suitable kind Jof wax, vpajraflin, etc., -is rlanlacwedv -in V'the tank .2'land heat lapplied thereto by means `ofthelburners.48. The* baskets'42 are then charged'withthevegetableslto be coated, the loading beingconvenientlydone 4while the baskets 42,are supported in upright' position on tracks 30 or on vtracks 33.- Power is then supplied by motor M to the sprocket wheels 20 and thereby the chains 25 are caused to travel carrying the baskets 42 therewith. 'Ihe movement of the baskets 42, depending on whether the baskets 42 are loaded while on tracks 30, or on tracks 33, is such that the loaded baskets 42 pass downwardly on tracks 3|, or on tracks 32, into the tank 21, and thence upwardly and out of the tank 21. The passage of the baskets 42 through tank 21, as the chains 25 carrying baskets 42 pass about the idler rollers 4| subjects the vegetables in the baskets 42 to a bath of the melted wax or other coating medium in the tank 21. As the baskets 42 containing the wax coatedI vegetables pass over the wheels 20 or the wheels the waxed vegetables being discharged at the l other end, the direction of travel of the chains 25 and their attached baskets 42Hbeing determined according to which end is used for charging the baskets 42.

It is to be noted that the depth of immersion of the baskets 42 in the bath contained inthe tank 21 may be determined by the disposition of the axle 40 of the rollers 4| in the several sets of journals 39 in the brackets 38. This adjustment of the rollers 4| to dierent depths Within the tank 21 is made possible by the fact that sprocket Wheels 23 are mounted on the rods 4 by means of the collars 2| which are endwise adjustable on the rods 4.

It is to be particularly noted that the rollers 4| are removable from within the tank 21, since when the nuts 31 are removed from the bolts 35 the beam 36 can be removed from bolts 35, thereby raising the rollers 4| from the tank 21. By rotating the wheels 23, by hand, the run of the chains 25 with baskets 42 may be raised from the tank 21 and tracks 3| and 32, so that the chains 25 extend horizontally across the entire top of my apparatus. The tank 21 may then be removed from the apparatus by sliding it sidewise, the ends of the beams 28 riding on the beams 26. The burners 48 may also be` removed from the apparatus by sliding the base 41 sidewise on the beams 46.

While I have illustrated in the drawings filed herewith and have hereinbefore fully described one specic embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention limited to said specific embodiment, but refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the

frame; an endless conveyor mounted in said frame; a plurality of containers mounted in said conveyor; a second frame removably mounted in said rst frame and depending into said tank; and a pair of rollers adjustably mounted in said second frame within said tank, said conveyor passing about said rollers, so that the depth of immersion of the containers on the conveyor is determined by the adjustment of the rollers in said second frame.

2. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the

- combination of a frame; a tank mounted in said yaaeaes combination of a frame having a pair of parallel sills; a pair of transverse L-beams depending from said sills; a tank having a longitudinal L- `beam mounted on the upper edge of each side, the ends of said longitudinal L-beams extending beyond the ends ofthe tank and being slidably received on the said transverse L-beams; an endless conveyor mounted in said frame; a plurality of containers mounted in said conveyor; and a pair of rollers mounted on said frame, over which said conveyor moves, adapted to cause said conveyor and its containers to move into and out of said tank.

3. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the combination of a frame having a pair of parallel sills; a pair of transverse L-beams depending from said sills; a tank having a longitudinal L- beam, mounted on the upper edge of each side, the ends of said longitudinal L-beams extending beyond the ends of the tank and being slidably received on the said transverse L-beams; an endless conveyor mounted in said frame; a plurality of containers mounted in said conveyor; a pair of brackets mounted on said frame and depending into said tank; and a rolleradjustably mounted on each bracket within said tank, said conveyor passing about said rollers, so that the depth of immersion of the containers on the conveyor is determined by the adjustment of the rollers on their brackets.

4. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the combination of a frame; a trackway in said frame; a tank slidably mounted on said trackway; an endless conveyor so mounted in said frame as to travel along said trackway; a plurality of containers mounted in said conveyor; and a pair of rollers mounted on said frame and disposed Within said tank, over which said conveyor moves, so as to cause said conveyor and its containers to move into and out of said tank when said conveyor is caused to travel.

5. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the combination of Y a frame; a tank removably mounted in said frame; an endless conveyor mounted in said frame and provided with containers; a pair of rollers over which said conveyor and its containers move into and out of said tank; and supporting means disposing said rollers in said tank, and being adapted to be removably mounted on said frame.

6. In an apparatus for immersing objects, the combination of a frame; a tank removably mounted in said frame; an endless conveyor mounted in said frame and provided with containers; a pair of rollers over which said conveyor and its containers move into and out of said tank when said conveyor is caused to travel; and supporting means disposing said rollers in said tank and being adapted to be removably mounted on said frame, said rollers being adjustably mounted in said supporting means so that the depth of immersion of the containers on the conveyor is determined by the adjustment of the rollers in said supporting means.

HERMAN SIEWING, J R. 

